Chusetts



Jan. 29, 1924. 1,481,850

T. MIDGLEY CONTRACTIBLE TIRE BUILDING FORMER Filed Sept. 21. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR' T A BY Jan. 29, 1924. 1A8L85 T. MIDGLEY CONTHACTIBLE TIRE BUILDING FORMER Filed Sept. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-$heet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Fatented Jan. 29, 1924-.

unrrso srarss PATENT orric -s.

THOMAS MIDGLEY, OF HAIVIPDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISK RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A.

CHUSETTS.

CORPORATION OF MASSA- CONTR'ACTIBLE TIRE-BUILDING FORMER.

Application filed Septeniber 21, 1922.

(all 10. mm it may concern:

Be it known that I. THOMAS MIDGLE a citizen ot the United States of America, residing at lianipden, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts. have invent-ed certain new and useful improve ments in a Contractible 'IireBuilding Former, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved contractible tire building former or core. Contractible 't'ire building formers, including means "to manipulate the sections. have heretofore been used in the manufacture of bicycle tires as well as automobile tires. Broadly, they are very old, as the patented art shows. I 7

he same type of contract-ible former long used for bicycle tires can be used for building automobile tires except when the difference in tire size makes this impossible. The difficulty as the tire size increases is found in getting the finished tire off the contracted forrner or in putting the building former in the tire f'or vulcanizing operations. In the larger size tires the proportion of the outertire periphery to the ineX-tensible head or inner tire periphery is such that the sections of the tire former cannot, according to prior art structures, be suifi'ciently nested in one plane by the manipulating means to permit the tire to be taken off the former. Due to this objection, other inventors have made contractible formers so that some of the sections are movable out of the plane of the other sections and by this shifting operation the remaining sections can be nested in the plane of a tire and within a space to permit the tire to berernoved or the sections inserted. Examples of this arrangement are shown in the Denmirc Patent No. 1.399.936, and in the Doughty Patent No. 1,101,782.

The prime object of this invention is to provide an improved contra'ctibletire building "former or core with means to position the sections so that large tires can be put on and taken off the core without shifting any 01 the core sections out of the core plane. Stated another way, accord-ingto a princi pal feature of this invention, the core sec tions and means to position them are made in such a way that the sections can all be nested in the-same plane byan additional de- Serial No. 589,689.

gree of contraction whereby a cont-ractible former can be used with larger sized tires in a more convenient manner than heretofore.

(lther objects of the invention are: to provide a prime mover for all the work of positioning the core sections in one plane; to provide improved co-ordinating details of a contractible core to accomplish more efiiciently the general and specific objects of a structure of this character.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and detailed description. Referring to the drawings i Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved contractible core in expanded posi tion;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the plane of line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the contractible core shown in F ig. 1 but with the sections in contracted or nested position;

F'g. 4 is a sectional detail view showing the cam slide and itssupport taken on line 4t, Fig. 2;

Fig.5 is a sectional detail View of the parts shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line G-6 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 7 is a detail view similar to Fig. i but showingithe cam slide in another position; and i Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a modified device for operating th'ecain slide.

The tire core is shown in side elevation in F ig. 1 and in section in Fig. 2. The function of the mechanism shown with the core is to move the sections from the positions shown in Fig. 1 to those shown in Fig. 3 and back again. If a tire hasbee'n built upon the core and it is desired to take it oh" the core, the core sections will need to be contracted within a space suiiicient'ly small to permit the bead diametergof the tire to be moved over the sections. The boa d diameter of a tire built'on the core shown would be si-zbstantially the diameter of the inner periphery of the core in Fig. 1; In large size tires the external periphery in proportion to the bead periphery of the tire is such hat the core sections which occupy the space between these peripheries in the building of the the are so large that they cannot oi di narily be nested-in the sameplane.

is to turn sections eland about the shaft 9 to contract these sections, and to turn sections 6 and 7 about pivot rod 13. Either during these pivotal movements or after-T wards, the shaft 9 is moved radially towards the center so as to cause the contracted sections 4 and 5 to move into closer nested relation with sections 6 and 7 as indicated in Fig. 3. The core is expanded by the reversal of these movements.

With this general operation in mind, the details of the mechanism for accomplishing it will be explained.

Core sections 4tand 5 are supported from a disc 1 mounted on the end of a shaft 2 which is mounted in suitable hearings in the standard 3 so as to support the disc for rotation. During the operation of contracting or expanding the core sections according to this invention, the shaft 2 is stationary. The core sections a and 5 are movably connected to the disc support. Disc 1 holdsa bearing 8 mounted in a radial slide 12 on the disc for limited radial movement. it stud shaft 9. is mounted in bearing 8. At the outer end of shaft 9, plates 10 and 11 are .pivoted. These plates are pinned as inclicatedin Fig. 3 to the core sections 41 and 5 respectively. At the inner end of the shaft 9 is a cam lock arrangement whichwill be later. described.

Core sections 7 and 8 are supported from disc 1. The disc has an integral bearing for 7 pivot rod 13. Plates l4 and 15 are mounted on this pivot and pinned. as indicated at 16 to core sections 6 and 7. These plates extend beyond their pivot rod 13 and each is provided at its outer end with a roll on a stud which enters a guide slot 36 in disc 1.

The outer abutting ends at 16) of sec tions. 1, 5, 6, and 7 have co-operating pins 18 and shoulders 17 to limit the outward pivotal movements of the sections and to hold them in circumferential alignment. The shoulders 17 are on sections 6 and 7 at the outer ends of slots which permit movement of the pins 18 in sections 4t and 5 up to abutting and aligned position. This posiof circular form with vertical ways for receiving camslide 81. The ends of the slide in its upper position are circumferentially aligned with its support (Fig. 4-) so as to form a disc in this position. The edges. of

the slide and its support when in disc form have a circumferentiall ali ned T slot or 'Igroove 26 by which a cooperating head pivoted to the top of a bar 27 may operate I the cam slide. The slide and its support are rotatable with the disc 1 and the T head of bar 27 is in engagement with its ctu'responding slot 26 throughout said rotation. The cam slide has a cross slot 19 to receive the two rolls on the ends of stud shafts 20 which may travel toward and away from each other as the cam slide is moved in its support. A longitudinal slot 28 straddling shaft 2'permits this movement of the cam slide.

The stud shafts 20 are mounted one on 'each of slides 22. These slides are mounted 7). Oppositively disposed flattened por--- tions 32 on shaft 9 permit it when properly turned to enter slot 31. Otherwise shaft 9 is held in opening 33. When core sections i and 5 are expanded into the aligned posi tions of Fig. 1, shaft 9, is aligned with opening 33 and the bearing 8 is in the upper position within its ways 12. A wrench on the inner end of shaft 9 as indicated in Fig. 2 may turn the shaft and lock it on the cam support in opening 33 which embraces it. The flattened portions of the shaft extend at this time crosswise of the opening to slot 31. This will be clear from a comparison of port, then shaft 9 and the parts connected therewith are in their expanded position,

held there by engagement of shaft '9 with. the

cam slide support.

The bar 27 is shown in Figs. 1 and2 for power operation. by the piston in cylinder 29. Suitable connections are made to the cyl inder on opposite sides of the piston and to r a common valve 30 connecting to sources fluid pressure and exhaust. These are indicated so that it is clear that valve 30 may control the up and down movement of bar 27 connected to the piston as is well understood.

A modification is shown in-'Figs..5 and 8.

The bar 1-5 of the modification has ahead;

the full equivalent of bar 27 to engage the cam slide for operation. This bar 45 is mounted to move in ways 46 fastened to'the frame standard A lever 48 is pivoted at to aframe bracket. A stud 50 extends from bar 4:5 through a slot inlever l8, as clearfrom the drawings. Any suitable length handle 51 may connect with lever 18.

By such handle and power multiplying means the bar 45 can be raised and lowered.

The particular apparatus illustrated is operated as follows: lVith the parts as in Figs. 1 and shaft 9 is unlocked so that-it said studs at their outer ends.

.nasnsso may enter slot 31. Bar '27 is fo rced'downwardly by the piston or lever movement. the T head 27 moves cam slide 8 1 with it. Thecampu'lls both staid shafts 20 down. The slides 22 working in ways 23' (which also operate as cams) -'-mov"e stud shafts 20 inuntil their ends approach very closely and within the nesting plane. The' ca'm slide in this movement has ca-iised the seeds 20 to move from the position of Fig. 4 to approx imately that of Fig. 7 and the ways 23 "and the cross slot 19 (engaging above and below the rolls on-the ends of the studs) have made this movement possible and easy.

During-the movement or the core sections 4 and 5"to their collapsed position, the ways 23 have acted on snaes aa as a mm by which eheeore section's ar'e moved 'clewnwardly as 'wellas inwardly. The "design of the operating parts is such (and is so indicated in the drawings) that core section's 4 37x1615 as they collapse pull theirsupporting stud 9 radially. This is rendered both possible and easy by the bearing of stud 9 moving in ways 12 as the inner end of the stud enters slot 31 of the cam slide support. The latter is suitably bolted to the disc 1 by bolts 82 in dicated in Figs. 4 and 7, but not otherwise shown. Thus the movements described are with'relation to both the disc 1 and the cam slide support.

The core sections 4 and 5 are preferably moved, as described, towards their collapsed position before sections 6 and 7 start to move. But when they have moved enough to clear the inner ends. of sections 6 and 7' they engage the rolls on the ends of studs 85. Further movement causes each section 4 and 5 to move its corresponding section 6. and 7. This is because core sections 6 and 7 are carried by the plates or levers 14 and 15 pivoted at 13 to disc 1 and provided with The inner ends of the levers are pinned to their corresponding core sections and extend outwardly from between the bead lines of the sections. Each plate is provided with a slot so as to straddle the fastening pins of its adjacent plate. (This structure is like that shown in Fig. 6).

Therefore the movement of core sections 4 and 5 causes the movement of core sections 6 and 7 from the positions in Fig. 1 to those in Fig. 3.

It is desirable tocut slots in the ends of sections 4 and 5 between the bead linesof said sections so that they may straddle plates or levers14 and 15 in the ositieno-f the parts in Fig. '3.

The core sections are expanded from their collapsedpo'sition of Fig. 3 to the expanded Z'POSl'DlOH of Fig; l by liftingbar 27 and thus reversing the movements "already described. The start and finish-of the operations take place when the cam slide support as shown in vertical position.

The pins 18 in sections 4 and 5 enter the slots-in sections 6 and 7 to finally abut against-shoulders 17 when the core sections are aligned circumferential-1y.

From the 'Tere cing "description it is clear what a general or sp'ee'ific embodiment of the invention will accomplish. The claims are intended to rover the. broad and general ree-:- tures as -well as the specific features of the invention "found-in the illustrative embodiment of the invention,

Having thus described "my invention, I claim:

1. A contractible former of the charac- "described comprising circumferentia-lly alignab'le sections, supporting means therefor, pivots'conne'cting said sections with the supporting means "for movement in a single plane only, and operating means to swing said sections, about thei pivots from and to.

centraeted" p'esiti'ons, hiding means to move one of said pivots to increase the degree of contraction of said sections in said single plane.

2. A contractible support for tire building comprising two pairs of circumferentially alignable sections, a pivotal support for each pair of sections, means to move the sections about their supports and to move one of said supports towards the other.

3. A complete sectional core or former of toric shape, and mechanism to nest the sections in one plane comprising pivotal connections between pairs of said sections, and power multiplying means to turn the sections about their pivotal connections and to cause the pivots to come closer together.

4. A contractible tire building core comprising a support, a complete series of core sections pivoted on the support, mechanism on the support operable to closely nest said sections in the plane of the complete core, including means to turn the sections about their pivotal supports and then move one of the pivotal supports towards the center of the core.

5. A tire building support of the character described comprising in combination a oomplete tire core of four approximately equal sections, an arm pinned to each section and pivotally mounted on the support, the arms for one pair of sections arranged diametrically opposite the arms of the other pair of sections, the abutting ends of each pair of sections remote from said arms lying in a circumference struck from one of the pivots onlthe support, and means on the support to swing one pair of sections together from said last named plvot, to swingv the other pair whenthe ends of the first pair have cleared,

said pivotal connections; to contract and expand the core in one plane.

7. A tire building support comprising a sectional core, a support arranged in a plane adjacent the core, at least one pivotalconnection between the support and each of the 7 core sections, and cam mechanism operably connected to each of said pivotal connections and operable to expand and contract said core in one plane.

f8. Aptire building support comprising a core of four sections, a support to'which each of the sections is pivoted, cam mecha- 'nism operable to force two adjacent sections together about their pivot, and means engageable, by said sections to move the other twosections to turn ontheir pivot and close uponthe first two sections.

each of the sections is pivoted, cam mechanism operable to force two. adjacent sections 7 together about their pivot and means engageable by said sections to move the other two sections to turn on their pivot and close upon the first two sections, said cam mecha-. nism including means to move sald first twov sections and'their pivotal support bodily into close nesting relation to the other two sections. 10. A. tire building support comprising a rotatable disc support thereon, two diametrically opposed stud shafts extending from the support, a bearing for one of said shafts slidable radially on the support, a four section tire core, pivot plates or arms one tastened to each section and mo'untedin pairs on said stud shafts, two diverging radial guides in'said support, two pivot arms one for each of said guides and pivotally connecting the guide and one of the sections connected to said radially movable stud shaft, a cam plate slidably mounted in said support having cam surfaces engaging said di i g guides and power multiplying means to move said camplate, all for the purpose described.)

TnoMAs MIDGLEY. 1 

